Syracuse women's lacrosse coach Gary Gait and 2012 Tewaaraton
Award finalist Michelle Tumolo have been publicly reprimanded by
the NCAA for comments and actions at the Division I women's
national championship game against Northwestern in May.

The NCAA, in a posting on its website, said
Gait was "found to have engaged in misconduct by making postgame
press conference comments critical of the officiating following the
championship game," and Tumolo, the Syracuse junior attacker,
"engaged in misconduct by making unsporting comments and placing
her hands on a game official after being issued a second yellow
card during the game."

In Syracuse's 8-6 loss to Northwestern in the title game at
Stony Book's LaValle Stadium on Long Island, the Orange became
increasingly frustrated throughout the game. As Lacrosse Magazine
editor Matt DaSilva wrote the night of the May 27 game in
"Northwestern Wins Seventh NCAA
Championship"...

The wheels fell off for Syracuse with 3:22 remaining
[trailing 8-6]. After a [Taylor] Thornton foul set up a free
position opportunity that could have pulled the Orange within one,
Northwestern called for a stick check on Syracuse midfielder Sarah
Holden. The stick was ruled illegal, the penalty offsetting the
Thornton foul and resulting in a toss.

With all other players' sticks on the ground for the stick
check, Gait left the sideline to lobby for a yellow card on
Thornton thinking a timeout had been called. As he approached the
middle of the field, the officials instead issued him a yellow
card.

"I thought it was a timeout. The sticks were on the ground
and the bench official didn't say anything," Gait said. "It was an
error."

Tumolo drew a red card [for her second yellow] on top of
that two minutes later, effectively ending any chance of another
Syracuse comeback. The Orange had erased a seven-goal deficit to
defeat Florida in Friday's semifinal, another game in which there
was illegal stick intrigue. In that game, it was Syracuse that
called for a stick check on Florida attacker Gabi Wiegand after she
scored the apparent go-ahead goal in overtime. The Orange was
successful in its challenge and went on to win in double
overtime.

Gait criticized the officiating after the championship game
Sunday.

"We felt like at times we were playing against a couple
teams," he said. "Battling that second team makes it tough out
there."

Tumolo, as described, was given a red card and by NCAA rule will
be suspended for the Orange's next game, the first of the 2013
season. The NCAA also said Tumolo's transportation expenses and
championship per diem were withheld. Aside from the public
reprimand, Gait faces no additional penalty.

In the NCAA announcement, Candice Lee, whose term as chair of
the Division I women's lacrosse committee ended in August, said,
"The women's lacrosse committee was disappointed with the
unsportsmanlike actions displayed by the coach and student-athlete.
We believe these types of behaviors only serve to discredit the
sport of women's lacrosse and the championship."